The decision taken by Ecuadorians today, in a referendum called by President Daniel Noboa, has the region waiting. One of the four questions asked refers to the return of foreign military bases to the country. If approved, it means movement in … The political geography of South America because it is a strategic point on the Pacific coast.
In terms of domestic policy, it is the mandate to form a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution to replace the current one, approved in 2008 during the government of Rafael Correa, that is attracting the most attention.
As for the other two questions, they suggest canceling funding for political parties from the state budget, and reducing the number of representatives from 151 to 73. These are two issues that observers considered “pending questions” to attract popular support, in a country that rejects political parties and hates representatives. Despite this, both have been criticized by some analysts, who fear harming democratic representation.
Daniel Noboa is betting that the 13.9 million Ecuadorians summoned to the polls will answer “yes” to the four questions, but it was clear that the focus of the government’s campaign was on the Constituent Assembly and the establishment of foreign military bases. If approved, the executive said, it would provide essential tools for governing this country plagued by the uncontrollable violence of transnational organized crime, linked to drug trafficking.
Regarding the establishment of a constituent assembly, it was justified by the need to amend the current Maga Carta, which is considered an obstacle to foreign investment, prohibits part-time work and is lenient in providing guarantees against crime. Noboa’s government plans to design a new political and economic framework and “reestablish the Ecuadorian state.” The aforementioned council consists of 80 representatives, and its duration is 180 days, which can be extended for another 60 days, to draft a new constitutional text that will be presented to a referendum for approval. According to opinion polls published last week, a yes vote would receive majority support.
Regarding the return of military bases, citizens must speak out about the repeal of Article 5 of the Constitution, which prohibits the establishment of foreign military bases on Ecuadorian territory. This article was introduced in the Magna Carta promoted by Rafael Correa (2007-2017). After its issuance in 2008, and since the agreement with the United States was not renewed, this country left the Manta base in 2009. From there, operations against drug trafficking were coordinated, managed by the Ecuadorian army.
Find the location
For the United States, what the Ecuadorian people have decided today is a fundamental necessity, at a time of great tension in the region due to the deployment of a naval fleet in the Caribbean as part of its attack against drug trafficking. This is evidenced by the presence of US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in Ecuador, who visited the country twice in just three months. On his second visit, last week, he toured two military facilities (Manta and Salinas) with President Noboa to find the best location for the military bases where his country will operate in joint action with Ecuador.
For the US Secretary of State, Marco RubioHe, who visited the country on September 4, said that Ecuador is considered a “strategic point” to confront crimes such as “drug terrorism” and illegal fishing. This was expressed in Quito, after a meeting with President Noboa.
The political rapprochement between Quito and Washington is clear, and the importance of what was decided on Sunday in Ecuador is well known. On the afternoon of Thursday, November 13, as the campaign was drawing to a close, the White House announced that Pres Donald Trump And his Ecuadorian counterpart Daniel Noboa“They have reached a relevant framework agreement on reciprocal tariffs of 15% affecting Ecuador.” The sources consulted said that this is an initial step towards reducing or canceling the additional customs duties imposed last April on some products exported to the United States.
An atypical campaign
The campaign for the referendum and popular consultation was unusual, not only because it was the shortest since the return to democracy in 1979, lasting only 13 days, but because the government’s biggest opponent, corista citizen revolution movement, Which directly opposes the establishment of military bases, it has not shown strength to promote “No to the Constituent Assembly”, and for this reason it has been left in the hands of the unions, social organizations and the indigenous movement, as they consider the Constituent Assembly an option for their leader’s return to active politics.
Part of the debate about the election campaign, among experts, has been precisely the truth of this Rafael CorreaThe Constituent Assembly could be the only and final source for an attempt to return to the country, after exhausting all legal possibilities, to abolish the aggravated bribery penalty that made him a fugitive today, and it can only aspire to an “agreement” with the official ADN movement, as the statute stipulates that: Daniel Noboa Sent to the Constitutional Court to approve the call to the polls, he points out that approving the texts of the Constitution requires the approval of two-thirds of the 80 members of the Constituent Assembly, which requires negotiation with the other political force that is supposed to have significant representation.
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